Bahamas · Tiger Beach
Best Time to Dive in Tiger Beach, Bahamas
26.85°N 79.05°W
Go October to January for tiger shark. Conditions are easier March to July, but the animals are not there then. The full season runs February to July.
- Best time
- Oct–Jan
- Water
- 25–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–20 m
- Season runs
- Feb–Jul
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Tidal range
- 0.7–1.1 m
- Species logged
- 9
Where it is
| Site | Best months |
|---|---|
| Grand Bahama / Freeport | Feb–Jun |
| Tiger Beach | Oct–Jan |
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Tiger Beach, Bahamas — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Busy | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Busy | Busy | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Oct–Jan
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Tiger Beach, Bahamas diving season
February to September · Off season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 14 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The sea is calmer. The wind eases.
Marine lifeTiger shark (likely) peaks at Tiger Beach, Bahamas in these months.
October to January · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–28 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. The wind is up.
Marine lifeTiger shark (likely) peaks at Tiger Beach, Bahamas in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Bahamas water temperature and weather
274 underwater observation records · 30 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Tiger Beach, Bahamas water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
1
rough days a month
Seas top 2.5 m on 3% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing
3
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
13
wet days a month
3 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.2 m | 24% | 11 | 3 | 23 °C | 10.5 h |
| February | 1.8 m | 16% | 9 | 2 | 24 °C | 11.1 h |
| March | 1.8 m | 18% | 8 | 2 | 24 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 1.6 m | 12% | 9 | 3 | 25 °C | 12.6 h |
| May | 1.2 m | 6% | 13 | 3 | 27 °C | 13.3 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 4% | 18 | 5 | 28 °C | 13.7 h |
| July | 0.8 m | 0% | 20 | 3 | 30 °C | 13.5 h |
| August | 1.1 m | 3% | 20 | 5 | 30 °C | 13.0 h |
| September | 1.5 m | 7% | 19 | 5 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 2.0 m | 14% | 16 | 4 | 28 °C | 11.3 h |
| November | 2.1 m | 14% | 10 | 2 | 25 °C | 10.7 h |
| December | 2.1 m | 17% | 9 | 1 | 24 °C | 10.3 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Excellent | February week 1: Moderate | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Poor | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Moderate | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Moderate | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Moderate | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Moderate | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Excellent | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Good |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of January
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 31 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Good | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 32 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.5 m | 32 km/h | 34% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.4 m | 31 km/h | 32% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 2.3 m | 29 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 30 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 32 km/h | 32% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 29% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 32 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 32 km/h | 26% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 27% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 27% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 30 km/h | 27% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 31 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.5 m | 30 km/h | 34% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.5 m | 29 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 27 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 27 km/h | 45% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 26 km/h | 49% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 25 km/h | 55% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 25 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 25 km/h | 61% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 24 km/h | 60% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 23 km/h | 60% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 24 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 24 km/h | 67% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 23 km/h | 65% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 24 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 60% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.5 m | 25 km/h | 72% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 70% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 21 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 64% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.5 m | 24 km/h | 67% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 2.7 m | 28 km/h | 65% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 28 km/h | 57% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 46% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 30 km/h | 35% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 2.2 m | 29 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 28 km/h | 27% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 28 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 2.4 m | 30 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 25 °C | 2.4 m | 32 km/h | 32% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 27% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 5 mm | February: 5 mm | March: 3 mm | April: 3 mm | May: 3 mm | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
- Jan–Feb5 mm full suit
- Mar–May3 mm full suit
- Jun–Octskin or 3 mm shorty
- Nov–Dec3 mm full suit
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
9 of the last 30 Septembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun–Nov.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Tiger Beach, Bahamas marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger shark | Feb–Mar, Dec | Likely | 29 | ||
| Yellowfin tuna | All year | Hit-or-miss | 100 | ||
| Lemon shark | Jan–Mar | Likely | 18 | ||
| Nurse shark | Mar, May–Jun, Aug | Likely | 14 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Apr | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Silky shark | Oct | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Loggerhead turtle | Jan, Mar, Jul–Aug | Likely | 16 | ||
| Southern stingray | Feb, Apr, Jul–Aug | Likely | 14 | ||
| Green turtle | Feb, Aug | Hit-or-miss | 12 |
Peak Present
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Tiger Beach, Bahamas — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- Go October to January for tiger shark. Conditions are easier March to July, but the animals are not there then. The full season runs February to July.
- When is the diving season in Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- Conditions are good February to July, but most divers come October to January for the marine life.
- Is the diving in Tiger Beach, Bahamas good for beginners?
- It is better with some experience. It suits Advanced Open Water divers or equivalent, so newer divers should ask the local operator which sites fit their level.
- How warm is the water in Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- Between 25 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in January and warmest in August. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- A 5 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- Roughly 5 to 20 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- The most consistently recorded species are Tiger shark (likely), Yellowfin tuna (hit-or-miss) and Lemon shark (likely), from 274 records within 60 km.
- Does Tiger Beach, Bahamas get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun–Nov, most often in September at 9 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- The tide rises and falls 1.1 m around the full and new moon, against 0.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- February–April, June–September are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Tiger Beach, Bahamas?
- Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Feb–Jul.